My favourite part of my 1996 roadtrip
was southern Utah, Mormon country. Beautiful landscape and friendly
people, particularly in towns like
Hurricane.
On that trip I became interested in the Church of Latter Day
Saints. What a strange phenomenon! A made-in-the-USA religion now known
for conservatism and white bread blandness, but with a crazy
history of defiance, persecution, and polygamy.

Jon Krakauer, of
Into Thin Air fame, uncovers
fundamentalist Mormonism in his latest book
Under the Banner of Heaven. Yes,
fundamentalist Mormonism: splinter groups who hold various
radical theological positions such as celestial marriage and
apocalyptic fervour.
The book is ostensibly a history of the
murders by Ron and Dan Lafferty,
but really it's an excuse for Krakauer to explore the curious history
of the LDS church.

The narrative is unflattering, particularly its
characterization of the early days of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young.
Parts seem unfair. But
Krakauer's central thesis is fascinating - Mormonism was born out of violence
and zealotry and this extremism is alive and well in the fringes
of Mormon culture.